Weft-feeler for looms.



C. E. NUTHNG.

wen FEELER run LOOMS.

APPUCATKON FILED NOV. 8.1317.

Patented July 16, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

C. E. NUTTING.

WEFT FEELER FOR LOOMS.

APFLICATIOI FILED NOV. 8. I911. v 1,272,702. Patented July 16, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

\ [7L 1) e 7 2/607? U/uzrlesENa @WQWW ii v 2. P iw 5 5 m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. NUTTING, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER UORPO- RATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

WEFT-FEELER. FOB LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Application filed November 8, 1917. Serial No. 200,950.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. No'r'rmo, of Hopedale, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in eft- Feelers for Looms, of which the following is a specification.

The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1, is a plan view of a shuttle box, partly in section, :and 0f the weft feeler mechanism at the detecting side of the loom. Fig. 2, is a vertical section in the plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged scctional'vlews of parts illustrated in Fig. 2, illustrating different positions occupied by the weft fceler at dif erent periods in the operation of the looms In the drawings A, is a portion of the lay at the detecting side of the loom; B, is the shuttle; G, is the weft carrier held within the H, during the forward swin of shuttle by means of elastic spring pressed jaws D; and E, is the front wall of the shut tle box. The front wall of the shuttle box and the front wall of the shuttle are apertured for the reception of the feeler fingers as illustrated in Fig. 1. There are two feelcr. fingers F, and a. The feeler finger F, is mounted to slide back andforth ona fixed part of-thc loom in front 0 the lay. It is moved to the rear by the spring H,and it is moved forwardly in opposition o the spring I he lay after the mass of weft I, on "the hobbit comes in contact with it.

The parts thus far described, excepting the feclcr finger (i, are or may be the same as the correspondin ly lettered parts in the weft feclcr set forth in United States Letters Patent of Nutting, No. 1,224,775, May

The feeler finger F, is blunt while the folder finger o. is pointed so as to ienrlratc the mass 1. of weft. The finger a..is ear ried by the finger F. and is capable of an independent sliding movement on the finger as s 1mm in Figs. 3 and l. Finger F. is formed with a longitudinal bore 7/. in which the pointed linger fits and slides. Forward of the bore 1;. the blunt linger F, has a lengthwise extending slot 3. into which the forward end of the finger (1. extends. .\1 its front end the linger (I. is provided with an upwardly and forwardly projecting hunter 0, which cooperates with the actuator 11.

The actuator is ivoted at 15, to the finger F, in the slot 3. he actuator 11, carriespan adjustable abutment 17,which screws into the actuator for adjustment and is held in its adjusted position by means of a lock nut 18. The abutment 17, has a hemispherical socket e, in its rear end into which extends the hemi-spherical ball (I, of the eluted penetrating finger a. The front note led end 12, of the actuator 11, is maintained in its normally idle uplifted position by means of a spring 20. This s )ring bears against a collar 21, on a vertical y sliding guide pin 19, upon whose upper end the forward end of the actuator 11. normally rests. The upward movement of the pin 19, under the in fluence of the spring '20, is limited in its movement by the collar 21, abutting against the under surface of a fixed portion of the loom as shown in Fig. 2. Accordingly, the actuator 11, during the normal running'of the loom is maintained in its normally uplifted position and slides idly buck and forth upon the top of the pin 19, durin the reciprocation of the feoler finger F. he abut.- mcnt 17, is so adjusted that durin this normal action the front end (I, of the hunter of finger a, is in contact with the abutment 17, as shown in Fig. 2. During this normal action .the front end of the actuator 11. rides clear above the controller 0. which is )i\'- oted at l, to a fixed wart of the lamb. "his controller 0. is si'mi or in its action to the corresponding part ofthe weft fcrlcr set forth in United States Letters Patent of Northrop, No.911.072.Februaryb.1909. .\s therein set forth when this controller 0 is swung forwardly it sets into action the initial portion of the train of mechanism whirb brings about the weft replenishment.

As long as there is an ample supply of weft in the shuttle the pointed finger a, penetrates the mass of weft and the body of the weft 'em-ounters the blunt linger F. and moves the forwardlv extending finger against the tension of its spring ll. without any independent movement being applied to the pointed linger. lIrnc-e the actuator 11. moves forwardly with the iingbr 'F. without swinging thereon. The spring 20. has sullieicnl force to enable the pointed fin gcr to penetrate the soft mass of weft 'without any movement bcin given to it indeponrh-ntly of the blunt nger.

When, however, the supply of weft has been so far depleted that the Jointed finger no longer finds sufficient we t in its path .to sink into so that it either actually or sub er F, swin the actuator 11,downwardl as shown in g. 4, the spring 20, being compressed and the actuator supporting pin 19, moving downwardly. This action takes place at a period in the forward movement of the lay when the front notched end 12, of the actuator is back of the controller 0, when occupying the position shown in Fig. 2. The downward movement of the actuator brings its notched end down far enough so that as the actuator moves forwardly it encounters the controller 0. Then, as the lay swings to front center, the actuator 11, carries with it the controller 0, to the forward position illustrated in Fig. 4. The controller 0, thus swings forwardly on its pivot P, and starts the weft replenishing train of mechanism into action in the manner set forth in the aforesaid Northrop Patent No. 911,672.

It will be noted on referrin to the aforesaid Patent No. 1,224,775, hat the parts herein referred to by capital letters are similar to the corresponding elements of said patent; whereas, the parts hercinbefore identified by reference numerals are not in said patent but are similar to the like-features setforth inUnited States Letters Patent of Sontag, No. 968,708, August 30, 1910. lhe present improvements, therefore, reside in the sliding penetrating finger a, capable of back and forth movement independently of the blunt finger F, and relatively thereto, and in-the vertical swinging actuator car'- ried by the finger, F, and cooperating with the hunter of the pointed finger through the adjustable abutment having a socket into which the rounded end of the hunter enters.

This ball and socket connection between the hunter of the pointed finger and the abutment of the actuator enables the actuator to swing with minimum friction while the pointed finger and its hunter slide and a noiseless contact can be maintained at all times between the banter and the abutment by the adjustment of the abutment.

I claim- 1. A weft feeler for automatic weft replenishing looins having, in combination, a sliding spring actuated blunt feeler finger; an actuator pivoted u )on said blunt feeler finger, said actuator aving an adjustable abutment with a socket on its rear ,end; a spring normally maintaining said actuator in its idle position; and a ointed penetrating finger mounted to slide on said blunt finger, said pointed finger having an upwardly and forwardly extending hunter with a ball on its forward end entering and contacting with the socket on the actuator abutment.

2. A weft fccler for automatic weft replenishing looms having, in combination, a sliding spring actuated blunt feel i' finger; an actuator pivoted u on said blunt feeler finger, said actuator iaving an abutment with a socket on its rear end; a spring nor mally maintaining said actuator in its idle position; and a pointed penetrating finger mounted to slide on said blunt finger, said pointed finger having a hunter with a ball on its forward end entering and contacting with the socket on the actuator abutment.

3. A weft fccler for automatic weft re plenishing looms havin in combination, a sliding spring actuated feeler finger; an actuator pivoted upon said feeler fin er, said actuator having an abutment wit a socket on its rear end; and a second finger mounted to slide on said spring actuated finger having a banter with a ball on its forward end entering and contacting with the socket on the actuator abutment.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name. 7

CHARLES E. NUTTING. 

